Tuesday, March 28, 2006
The Binky Faerie
We're trying to break my 3-year old niece, Lauren, of her binky. On Sunday, my sister, Sheri, called and told my mother a story of how one mother broke her daughter by using the Binky Faerie. The mother told the toddler that babies all over the world needed binkies, and the Binky Faerie was collecting them. Did the little girl know of any binkies these babies could use? The little girl took her binky out of her mouth and gave it to the mom and then offered all her other binkies. The mother put them in a bag and hung the bag that evening from a tree branch. The next morning, the binkies were gone but a gift for the little girl was left by the Binky Faerie.
When my mother told me this Monday night, I thought it was the sweetest story, and we decided it would be a great technique for Lauren. So, yesterday, Mom tried it. She told Lauren about the needy babies and the binky faerie and asked her if she knew of any binkies the faerie could have.
Lauren took her binky out of her mouth, put the binky ring on her finger, and very matter of factly stated: "This is HER binky, and she better not try to take it. And she better leave her binkies alone at home."
Lauren refers to herself in third person.
So much for the Binky Faerie.
When my mother told me this Monday night, I thought it was the sweetest story, and we decided it would be a great technique for Lauren. So, yesterday, Mom tried it. She told Lauren about the needy babies and the binky faerie and asked her if she knew of any binkies the faerie could have.
Lauren took her binky out of her mouth, put the binky ring on her finger, and very matter of factly stated: "This is HER binky, and she better not try to take it. And she better leave her binkies alone at home."
Lauren refers to herself in third person.
So much for the Binky Faerie.
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About Me
- Kelli McBride
- Oklahoma
- ABD, Associate Professor of Language Arts & Humanities at an Oklahoma 2-year college; web site designer; devoted aunt to Lauren.
7 comments:
Kels, we had the hardest time breaking out kids of the pacifier. Not so hard that if I had an infant all over again that I WOULDN'T use one, but it was a challenging time.
We tried everything. Someone even told us that they told their son he couldn't turn 3 if he still had his binky. Of course he said he was fine staying 2.
Eventually, we bought a new package. Told our kids this was the last package they'd be getting. Eventually the rubber on the pacifier begins to break down. So, they would do this ritual of cutting the paci up into a billion different pieces and throwing it away in the trash. They got to use the grown up scissors and everything.
Worked for us, but I think it's the ritual and that both my kids seemed to be mini-engineers like their dad.
My daughter had a thumb. She would kill me if I talked about how long it took to break that habit. The dentist became involved if that tells you anything.
This is a sweet story. I like her. :)
Oh, that is so precious! Thanks for sharing that!
I didn't have much trouble with my kids. First one scared himself with one so badly, he never touched one again ...at 1 & 1/2 yrs. The other, had me. Nursing kind of took care of that ...binkies didn't taste near as good. LOL
She refers to herself in the third person? Isnt' that was English Royalty does? In all the romance books they seem to.. Hmmmmm, she's a princess then...*wink*
Michele, she's always wanting to be a princess. She has a tiara, wand, fancy shoes, and skirt that my sister bought her at the dollar store. Just yesterday, she asked if she could be a princess, so I told her yes, but that princesses were kind to people and didn't hit or talk back. If she wanted to be a princess, she'd have to act nicer. We'll see how that works out. ;-)
Jill, I like the idea of wearing out the last binky. I'll share this with Mom and Kim. She doesn't use it that often, but when she's on the naughty chair or her diaper's being changed, she wants it (as well as when she doesn't feel well). It's an emotional crutch when she feels vulnerable or off.
Rinda, isn't it part of parenting to embarrass kids with their adorable habits? Isn't that payback for the terrible twos, threes, and fours? ;-)
I'm one of those parents who love the twos, etc. Two is my favorite. It's when they reach ten I've noticed a switch in personality. Notice it a lot in friend's kids.
Jenny's giving up of her "Pluggies" was so major that she still remembers it and she's 20.
You write: "Lauren took her binky out of her mouth, put the binky ring on her finger, and very matter of factly stated: 'This is HER binky, and she better not try to take it. And she better leave her binkies alone at home.'"
I hope I'm not out of line here, but it seems that Lauren might have a bright future ahead in conservative politics.
I had a friend who sucked his thumb into adulthood. He gave it up only after his second prison sentence.
I wish that were an April Fools joke. Sadly it isn't.